If you’re anything like us, caffeine will be top priority. Head to Airth Coffee + Nuts, an inviting alcove in the Schengen Hall that’s part-emporium, part café (look for the donkey statue). The lighting is gentle, the coffee great, and there are tempting handmade chocolates, gourmet popcorn, local nuts and dried fruit; handy for in-flight snacks or gifts (if they last that long). For non-coffee drinkers, the home-brewed lemonade with ginger is a treat. V Coffee + Bites in the Departures free-access zone is another top spot to re-caffeinate and sample Greek-style morsels.  
Top tip: Want some fresh air? Enjoy your coffee or freshly-made pastries at Venetis at Departures Curbside. 

Transport your favourite Greek flavours back home with Hellenic Gourmet. Select from traditional cheeses and sweets, premium olive oils and honeys, classic Greek spirits like ouzo from Lesvos or mastiha from Chios. Terkenlis Patisserie (there’s also an outlet in Arrivals) is your go-to for sweet treats from Asia Minor like tsoureki (braided brioche) and bougatsa (the Med’s custard slice). At Bistro Attica Athens, an open market eatery that champions local producers, pick up jars of organic tomatoes from Sparta, craft beer from Corfu, or pistachio pesto from Aegina. 

Pick up cultured curios from Artpoint, including museum replicas and brass bracelets inspired by ancient Greek coins. The fantastic All Greek to Me concept store (only accessible to non-Schengen passengers) stocks everything from velvet kaftans to Cycladic figurines and olive wood homewares. For a playful spin on quintessentially Greek icons - think deconstructed Greek salads on table runners - check out Anamnesia in the Departures area, which is accessible to all airport visitors. You’ll tick off your entire gift list and come away with feel-good trinkets you never knew you needed (hello, sea anemone mouse mat). Terrific for gifts of a more sensual nature is Greek beauty brand Apivita, made with indigenous plant extracts and bee products. 
Top tip: For a more relaxed duty free shopping experience, head for the less crowded Last Minute Duty Free spaces near the departure gates. 
 

Enjoy a glass of local wine from the award-winning Kir-Yianni estate at Bistro Attica Athens bar (it’s always wine o’clock somewhere in the world). Treat yourself to a mani-pedi or other beautifying session at Fairynails. Arm yourself with some in-flight entertainment at Public or WHSmith (parents can barter for their child’s best behaviour at The Cartoon Store). Or elevate your spirits at the lovely Greek Orthodox chapel on the Observation Deck — a welcoming recess with a domed ceiling and colourful frescoes of Christian saints. All religions can access an “Interfaith Worship” area located opposite.

Think of Athens Airport as two different terminals under the same roof: 
The Schengen Area is for passengers travelling within Greece or any of the 26 European countries where passport controls are not required. The Non-Schengen Area is for all other departing passengers, who must pass through passport control. Both areas have their own separate shopping arcades, duty free, and food and drink facilities.
There is also a revamped Satellite Terminal Building, catering mostly for budget airline carriers. It’s reached via a 700m underground corridor from the main terminal building and has duty free, shopping and dining venues.